NZ Universities being left behind

The latest annual QS World University Rankings were released today with some bad news for New Zealand. The top six universities in New Zealand have all slipped down the rankings compared with last year:

University

2012 Report

2013 Report

University of Auckland

83rd

94th

University of Otago

133rd

155th

University of Canterbury

221st

238th

Victoria University

237th

265th

Massey University

308th

343rd

University of Waikato

374th

In range 401-410

Auckland University of Technology

In range 451-500

In range 471-480

Lincoln University

n/a

In range 481-490

The rankings reflect academic reputation, employer reputation, faculty/student ratio, citations per faculty, international students and international faculty. It covers a total of 800 universities from 76 countries.

The Head of Research of Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) who produce the rankings, said that:

“New Zealand’s universities have collectively seen a drop in academic reputation, faculty student ratio and international students in this year’s results. With tuition fee hikes and student debt becoming a growing concern for both students and the New Zealand Government, the decline in affordable publicly funded education means many students risk being priced out of a world-class education”

This is a sorry state of affairs and the Government needs to step up and acknowledge that their policies are hurting our tertiary sector.

This National Government has cut hundreds of millions of dollars from tertiary education in the last five years.

“We are moving in the wrong direction. New Zealand academics are highly regarded, and are involved in world class research and teaching. But falling government funding means they face larger lectures and tutorials, more administrative workload that takes time away from research and teach, and stagnant pay”.

A vibrant tertiary sector is vital for the social, cultural, environmental and economic wellbeing of New Zealand. This sector deserves more than what this Government has to offer.

A good first step would be for Tertiary Education Minister Steven Joyce to start listening carefully and responding to the legitimate concerns of university staff and management, rather than treating them as part of the problem.

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7 thoughts on “NZ Universities being left behind”

“Univerity of Canterbury’s civil engineering is placed” where it is, in good measure, because of its favored financial status, and business friendly profile, with Herr Steven Joyce.

Not to mention fifty years of work by the department, work catalysed by by one of the greatest ever in earthquake engineering. Herr Joyce was a babe in nappies during this period, so crediting him, even obliquely, is a stretch.

What the whingers and conspiracy theorists above miss, is the ratings for NZ universities are virtually the same as they were last year – in fact Auckland Uni’s mark went UP!

The Uni rankings have added more than 100 of the world’s top universities that weren’t previously on their list. They now have more than 800 universities – what they say are the top 4% of universities in the world.

Meaning any uni in the top 400 on their list are the top 1 and 2 percent of universities in the world.

“Univerity of Canterbury’s civil engineering is placed” where it is, in good measure, because of its favored financial status, and business friendly profile, with Herr Steven Joyce. The department is lavished with $$ while much of the rest of the Uni goes to bed hungry. dbuckley’s observations further support David Clendon’s argument.

I think education in Aotearoa/NZ is going the way of everything else under this ‘neo-liberal’ Govt. User-pays/Privatise & if its not making a decent profit.. down the Sh!t house or sold to the highest bidder !

National led govt hate those people with/use brains (especially intellectuals); it’s against their dumbing down voters philosophy.

About the Uni.ranking? no matter.
NZ is moving “foreward” in the world worst ranking in many other areas like Inequality, Child abuse, Human right & privacy breach, problem gamblers, money laundering,Housing affordability,
Work safety/Casualty. Foreign debt increase, etc…so many more…
What a “bright” future this govt is giving us…